20ft High Cube Export Container | ISO Certified Intermodal Freight Unit

Technical Specifications & Dimensional Data

Manufactured in compliance with ISO 668, ISO 1496-1, and CSC safety regulations. Designed for intermodal transport via maritime shipping, rail, and heavy-duty highway chassis.

Technical Parameter	Specification Value	Tolerance / Standard
External Length	6,058 mm (19'10.5")	ISO 668 Tolerance: 0 / -6 mm
External Width	2,438 mm (8'0")	ISO 668 Tolerance: 0 / -5 mm
External Height	2,896 mm (9'6")	ISO 668 Tolerance: 0 / -5 mm
Internal Length	5,898 mm (19'4.2")	Measured between inner corrugated panels
Internal Width	2,352 mm (7'8.6")	Measured between inner sidewall liners
Internal Height	2,690 mm (8'9.9")	305 mm (1 ft) higher than standard 20' dry van
Door Opening Width	2,340 mm (7'8.1")	Full width clear opening
Door Opening Height	2,585 mm (8'5.8")	Accommodates tall palletized cargo
Tare Weight	2,350 kg (± 2%)	Verified via certified load cell platform
Max Gross Weight (Rating)	30,480 kg (67,200 lbs)	Maximum operational limit per CSC plate
Payload Capacity	28,130 kg (61,710 lbs)	Net cargo weight capacity
Cubic Capacity	37.4 m³ (1,321 cu.ft)	Volumetric internal space

Material Composition & Structural Engineering

Structural longevity relies strictly on material grade selection and welding precision. Every unit utilizes verified metallurgical components.

Corrosion-Resistant Steel Frame & Panels:

Main structural corner posts, roof bows, and side wall panels utilize SPA-H Corten atmospheric corrosion-resistant steel, containing chemical alloys of chromium, copper, and nickel to form a self-protective stable rust layer.

Panel Thickness:
Corrugated Sidewall & Roof Panels: 1.6 mm hot-rolled Corten steel.
Corner Castings: 150 mm thick drop-forged steel complying with ISO 1161 structural load specifications.

Flooring System:

28 mm thick multi-layered marine-grade plywood (composed of Apitong face veneers and hardwood core) secured to crossmembers with countersunk self-tapping screws. Treated with structural preservatives to resist fungal decay and moisture absorption.

Crossmember Support:

C-type pressed steel crossmembers welded at 200 mm to 400 mm intervals underneath the floor to support concentrated forklift wheel loads.

Manufacturing & Quality Control Process

Production follows a strict sequential assembly line adhering to international industrial quality standards.

Surface Preparation (Shot Blasting): Raw steel plates and structural profiles undergo automatic centrifugal shot blasting to ISO 8501-1 Sa 2.5 surface cleanliness standards, completely eliminating mill scale, rust, and oil residue before fabrication.

Precision Forming & Jig Welding: Hydraulic presses shape the Corten steel sheets into 1.5mm deep wave profiles. Automatic and semi-automatic MIG/CO2 welding is performed inside certified jigs to maintain structural squareness and dimensional tolerances.

Coating System Application:
Prime Coat: Zinc-rich epoxy primer applied at 40 microns dry film thickness (DFT).

Intermediate Coat: High-build epoxy coat applied at 60 microns DFT.

Topcoat: Chlorinated rubber or polyurethane marine paint system (total system DFT >= 150 microns), resistant to salt spray exposure up to 1,000 hours per ASTM B117 testing.

Rigorous Factory Testing:
Watertightness Test: Every unit undergoes a high-pressure water spray test (1.0 bar pressure nozzle targeting all seams and door gaskets) to detect pinholes or seal failures.

Structural Load Test: Prototype units undergo ISO 1496-1 stacking tests, lifting tests via top corner castings, and floor dynamic rolling load tests (7,200 kg axle load).

Application Matching & Operational Suitability

Ideal For:
High-Volume & Tall Cargo Transport: Ideal for machinery, industrial skids, and oversized pallets that exceed the 2.39-meter internal height restriction of standard 20ft containers, while maintaining axle weight compliance required for 20ft box footprints on road chassis.

Modular Shelter Conversion: Engineering firms convert the extra vertical clearance into mobile control rooms, battery energy storage systems (BESS), and telecommunications shelters where internal cable trays and drop-down insulation reduce available headspace.

Unsuitable For:
Extremely Heavy Point-Load Cargo Exceeding Floor Ratings: Cargo concentrated on tiny footprints exceeding standard forklift wheel load limits without spreader plates.

Cargo Exceeding 20ft Length Limits: Long structural steel beams or pipes exceeding 5.8 meters require 40ft High Cube containers or open-top units.

Supplier Evaluation Criteria

When vetting manufacturing partners for export container procurement, enterprise buyers evaluate specific technical and operational benchmarks:

Manufacturing Capacity & Lead Time: Facility equipped with automated panel rolling lines, robotic welding stations, and an output capacity exceeding 5,000 TEU monthly. Standard production lead time is 25 to 35 days per batch order.

Regulatory Compliance & Classification Societies: Units delivered with valid CSC Safety Approval Plates approved by major classification societies (ABS, BV, LR, or CCS) upon request.

Factory Inspection Access: Full transparency for third-party pre-shipment inspections (BV, SGS, Intertek) prior to container release at factory gate.

Logistics Positioning: Direct access to major container marshaling yards, reducing inland repositioning trucking costs for export loading.

Procurement Decision & Ordering Guide

To streamline technical clarification and commercial quotation, prepare the following parameters when submitting an RFQ:

Quantity & Delivery Terms: State total units required, destination port (CIF) or factory release depot (FOC/FOB), and required delivery schedule.

Color & Customization: Specify RAL paint color codes, corporate logo application requirements, and optional features (e.g., forklift pockets, extra lashing rings, or bamboo vs. apitong flooring).

Certification Requirements: Indicate if classification society certification (ABS/BV/GL) is required for statutory registry.

FAQ

Q: What is the exact height difference between a Standard 20ft Container and a 20ft High Cube Container?

A: A standard 20ft dry van container has an external height of 8 feet 6 inches (2,591 mm), whereas a 20ft High Cube container measures 9 feet 6 inches (2,896 mm) externally. The extra 1 foot (305 mm) is translated directly into the internal height, providing 2,690 mm of clearance instead of 2,390 mm.

Q: Can a 20ft High Cube container be lifted fully loaded from its top corner castings?

A: Yes. Like standard ISO containers, 20ft High Cube containers are engineered with top and bottom corner castings designed to withstand top-lift spreader bar handling at the maximum gross weight rating of 30,480 kg, as well as vertical multi-tier stacking up to 9 high on a container ship deck.

Q: What type of flooring is installed, and what is its weight limit?

A: The floor consists of 28 mm marine-grade Apitong or bamboo-composite plywood panels bolted to steel crossmembers. It is rated to withstand a forklift truck axle load of up to 7,200 kg with pneumatic tires, complying with ISO 1496-1 testing requirements.

Q: Are the containers certified for international sea freight and rail transport?

A: Yes. Every unit is manufactured in accordance with ISO standards and is issued a valid CSC (Convention for Safe Containers) safety approval plate, making them fully certified for international multi-modal transit across ocean carriers, railways, and highway networks worldwide.

Q: What anti-corrosion protection is applied to withstand marine environments?

A: Structural steel components undergo Sa 2.5 abrasive shot blasting followed by a three-layer coating system: a zinc-rich epoxy primer (40 um), an intermediate high-build epoxy coat (60 um), and a marine-grade polyurethane or chlorinated rubber topcoat (50 um), achieving a total dry film thickness of not less than 150 um.

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